New Vanity Fair article blames anyone and anything but President Obama himself for his failures

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While in many respects the media’s infatuation with the Obama Administration has waned, there still seems to be a desire to redirect any and all blame when it comes to discussing the President’s failures. Take for example the latest Vanity Fair commentary on Obama’s presidency. Originally titled, “Obama the Loner: The Trouble with the President’s Self-Reliant, Closed-Off Attitude,” by Todd S. Purdum, the digital version of the story is called “The Lonely Guy.” In the article, Purdum takes a look at why President Obama’s upbringing, early career, personality-type, ambitions, staff, and family have affected his ability to lead the United States.

The subheading of the digital edition tells you everything you need to know about the article: “[Obama is] a community organizer who works alone. What was once his greatest strength—he kept his cool and didn’t need feedback—is now a liability.” Essentially, Purdum tells us from the onset President Obama does not have the personality necessary to be a good president. But alas, if you actually read the article, Purdum doesn’t really seem to see it that way.

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“I don’t know if you saw Vanity Fair’s article, ‘The Lonely Guy,’” Glenn said on radio this morning. “You have to read this. This is Todd Purdum coming out and saying basically the President is over and he’s in real trouble, but you would not believe the vomitus love letter this thing actually is.”

Self-containment is not simply Obama’s political default mode. Self-possession is the core of his being, and a central part of the secret of his success. It is Obama’s unwavering discipline to keep his cool when others are losing theirs, and it seems likely that no black man who behaved otherwise could ever have won the presidency.

But this quality, perhaps Obama’s greatest strength in gaining office, is his greatest weakness in conducting it. And as he ends the first year of his second term, that weakness seems to dog him—and to matter—more and more. At a time when the abrasions of office leave any president most in need of friends, Obama is the capital’s Lonely Guy.

“Wait until you hear the excuses this guy makes for the President,” Glenn said exasperatedly. “He didn’t know, but it’s because he’s so smart. He’s so decent, and he’s so isolated. Who is letting this president down?”

“Many people,” Pat said somberly. “Too many… I weep for him.”

“I do too,” Glenn responded. “I want you to get ready because his next line is: ‘His self-evident isolation has another effect: It tends to insulate him from engagement in the management of his own administration.’”

So basically, nothing that has gone wrong for the Obama Administration is President Obama’s fault. Got it?

“The deal is: He’s so smart, he only wants to spend time with the smartest person in the world,” Pat quipped. “And that’s him… He spent a lot of time alone.”

“Have you read this article,” Glenn asked. “Because that sounds an awful lot like what this article says.”

No, I have not,” Pat conceded sarcastically. “But we’re all like-minded on this, I think.”